SM Retail consolidation set

Soon all SM’s retail-related businesses will come under a single umbrella company.

The planned SM Retail consolidation is expected to boost sales by 16.6 per cent to Php251 billion.

SM Investments Corp, Henry Sy’s holding company, said in an investor presentation that the merger of all retail-related businesses under SM Retail would ratchet up footprint and diversity in the group’s portfolio.

Aside from higher revenues, the combined merger will result in 1927 outlets and 2.4 million sqm of GFA across a diverse portfolio of food, household appliances, DIY, furniture, apparel, footwear, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and specialty retailing stores.

Currently SM Retail has only 553 stores and 1.8 million sqm of GFA.

SM Investments is also expanding its minimart concept store Alfamart. While Alfamart is in the testing phase, it now has 126 branches mostly in provincial areas south of Metro Manila and in residential areas.

The conglomerate said the minimart concept was different to convenience store, as it offers supermarket pricing and ready-to-cook items versus ready-to-eat products.

Prior to the merger, SM Retail operates 53 SM department stores, 44 hypermarkets and 213 supermarkets and majority stakes in the local operations of Alfamart, Forever21, Crate & Barrel and other specialty and apparel retailers in addition to a minority stake in Uniqlo.

SM Retail brands include Ace Hardware, SM Appliance Center, Homeworld, Our Home, Toy Kingdom, Watsons, Kultura, Baby Company, Sports Station and several other specialty stores.

SM Retail is one of the leading retail companies in the Philippines, along with Robinsons Retail Holdings of the Gokongwei group and Puregold Price Club.